Wolverine #9 (2020) Revisited
Wolverine #9, written by Benjamin Percy, is the comic book issue which builds on the promise that the cover of Wolverine #8 sold on: an appearance of Maverick. An appearance which was sorely missed and left a few fans (namely me) butt hurt over something you’d think the brass over at Marvel would’ve capitalised on for the 350th legacy Wolverine comic book issue.
With the end of the last issue, we saw Wolverine trace the leads concerning Maverick to an exclusive club in Madripoor. This issue is the culmination of those events, which lead toward an all out fight of deadly mutants versus the privileged elite looking to acquire them.
The issue brings Wolverine face-to-face with two sex-pest looking bruisers who are acting as the exclusive club’s bouncers who give Wolvie one of the most uncomfortably long “pat downs” of his life. Looking for the hidden weapons that he’s supposedly hiding but not realising that “Patch” here (Wolverine’s identity) is the weapon itself.
Moving down into the secret lair of creeps who are gathering for the exclusive auction that’s about to take place, you begin to take notice of the bad guys that have gathered here. In order of appearance there’s Kingpin, The Order of X, and the woman who leads X-Desk.
After throwing down a glass of expensive bourbon, Wolverine takes note the auction is about to start. And this isn’t your standard run-of-the-mill auction where you might up a sports car for less than twenty grand. Oh no, this is one of the narcissistic Marvel villain variety auctions.
As they’re announced, the items up for auction are: the cyanide tooth of Black Widow, a prison painting by Jigsaw, a Goblin Glider, the original World War II era cowl of Captain America, Magnetic Man’s gloves, Spider-Man’s gravestone and the severed hand of Wolverine. A fact which enrages Wolverine so much he breaks his glass in one hand, causing it to bleed, prompting Kingpin to offer his handkerchief to Wolverine for his bloody hand.
A bloodied handkerchief is picked up by an unknown character before the number 1 prize in the auction is announced by the emcee: a memory wiped, cold and calculating Maverick. The legitimacy of which is proven when Maverick is ordered to break the arm of one of the bouncers. A moment that made me grit my teeth because once you’ve broken your bone you will forever feel it in any bone breaking scene – no matter the medium – thanks to artist Adam Kubert.
Before long, the organisers of the “forbidden items” auction get the intel that Wolverine is there in disguise as “Patch.” A spotlight shines on Wolverine revealing him to the crowd and, while the Order of X members immediately bow down and start to praise their lord and saviour, Wolverine starts hacking and slashing his way through the auctioneer’s henchmen.
Getting through, the Auctioneer surprises Wolverine by wearing Magnetic Man’s gloves and turning them on. The effect on Wolverine causes a flashback where he remembers a time during his Team X days in which he forgot his own name and Maverick helped him remember.
It’s this memory of their time together as unstoppable killing machines that helps Wolverine tap into the memory of a book he and Maverick both read once. Despite Team X protocol. A beautiful moment between the two mutants thanks to Benjamin Percy.
It’s this breaking through the conditioning that Maverick wakes up and breaks out of his metaphorical shackles, only to grab the auctioneer wearing Magnetic Man’s gloves, which releases Wolverine and the two face off the crowd of angry guests planning to bid at the auction. Maverick, holding a gun to the auctioneer’s head and Wolverine, claws popped. Setting up a great action filled Issue 10 which we’ll revisit very soon.
<<Last Issue | Next Issue>>
What did you think of Wolverine #9?
What did you think of this Wolverine comic book issue bringing Maverick back into the fold?
Let us know on social media.
